Thomas walter griffin



"0.626.901 Patented rune |3,|s99.

T. w. GRIFFIN.

PUUL TABLE ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1899.)

.'(No-Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WALTER GRIFFIN, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSE'LF AND HENRY C. GOODW'IN.

POOL-TABLEl ATTACHIVIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersw Patent No. 626,902, dated June 13, 1899. Application tiled February 24, 1899. Serial No. 706,667. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WALTER GRIF- FIN, of Milford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and Improved Pool-Table Attachments, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for pool-tables or other tables having pockets with which balls are employed for the game; and the objects are, first, to provide a raceway that may be readily applied to tables either new or already in use for the purpose of directing balls from any of thetable-pockets into a receiver at one end of thetable, thus making it unnecessary for a person to walk around a table to take balls from the several pockets, as is the ordinary method, and, secondly, to so arrange the ballreceiver that it may be raised from its receiving position nearly to the top plane of the table, so that aperson need not stoop or bend over in order to remove the balls for the purpose of placing them in arack or upon the table, and thus while a person may receive all the enjoyment and needed exercise incident to the game he is not needlessly fatigued by unnecessary walking or bending of the back.

I will describe a pool-table attachment elnbodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of a pooltable, showin g my invention as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the receiver in plan view and certain tripping mechanism employed.

nectedtogether at suitable intervals by trans# verse strips 3. The pockets at the sides of the corners of the table communicate with the raceways-that is, the corner-pocket at the foot of the table has an opening toward the head of the table to discharge a ball into the raceway-while the central pocket has openings communicating at both sides with the raceway, and the corner-pocket at the head of the table has an opening for receiving a ball from said raceWay and also has an opening for discharging a ball into a short section 4t of the raceway, which of course connects with the main portion of the "race- Way and is extended transversely of the head portion of the table at a downward incline.

At the discharge end of each short section 4 is a stop adapted to be released by a downward movementrof the ball-receiver, to be hereinafter described, and to be swung open by springs, so that balls may discharge into the receiver. It is also designed that this stop shall be moved to its closed position on an upward movement of said receiver. The stop, as here shown, consists of a door or plate 5, hinged at its lower edge to the lower portion of the raceway and having a lug 6 at the top of its inner edge adapted to engage with a spring-catch 47, extended from the end of the short section 4 and at the inner side thereof. Springs 5a on the hinges of the stops serve'to swing them open when released.

Extended downward and having its lower end inclined slightlyvoutward from the springcatch 7 is an arm 8, designed to be engaged by a spring-tappet on the receiver to release the catch from the stop. The receiver comprisesa frame 9, to which a tray lO of any suitable material-such, for instance, as a soft netting-is attached. At the ends ot' the frame 9 are lugs ll, through openings in which vertical guides l2 are passed. These guides l2 extend from the iioor and up to a point here shown as directly under the upper end rail of the table, and these guides may be secured rigidly in any desired manner.

Extended across the lower portion of the frame 9 is a curved bar 12, from which a se- IOO ries of togglelinks 13 extend toa pivotal connection with a cross-bar 14, attached to the guides. One of the lower toggle-links 13 has an outward and down ward extension 15, forming a lever upon which a persons foot may be placed to operate the links in order to raise Athe ball-receptacle. As here shown, this extension or lever 15 is extended outward beyond one of the guides 12 and between said guide and a loop-bar 16, attached i,

to the guide. A spring 17 is connected atits upper end to the cross-bar 12 and at its lower end to the cross-bar 14.

Curved outward and downward and then inward from the ends of the frame 9 and near the inner edge thereof are spring yielding tappets 18, designed to engage with the arms S during the downward movement of the receiver and also to engage with the stops 5 upon an upward movement of said receiver.

In operation when a player begins his innings the parts will be in the position indicated in Fig. l-that is, the receiver will be below the plane of the outlets of the raceways-and the stops 5 will be opened, so that any pocketed balls willv run down the raceways and drop into the receiver. After the player shall have missed oriinished his innings he places his foot upon the outer end of the'lever 15 and by forcing it downward moves the receiver upward to the position indicated in'Fig. 2, so that the balls may be removed bythe player without the necessity of his stooping or bending over. During the upward movement of the receiver the tappets 18 by engaging the stops or doors 5 will swing them to their closed position and engage them with their spring-latches, and therefore no ball that may subsequently fall into a raceway will discharge or fall upon the door, because it will be prevented from so doing by the stop 5. After the player shall have removed the balls from the receiver and upon removing his foot from the lever 15 the receiver will be drawn downward by the spring 17, and upon this downward movement the tappets 1S by engaging with lthe arms 8 will tilt the spring-catches 7 downward out of engagement with the stops or doors 5, so that said stops or doors may swing downward or to their open position. Of course as the ends of the arms 8 engaged by the tappets 1S are considerably below the raceways this opening of the stops or doors will not 'take place until the receiver shall have reached its lowermost position, which is determined by a stop-bar 19, extended across the guides 12.

' As the stop 5 is hinged to the rigid lower portion of the racewayand as the spring-catch is formed upon the free extended and yielding inner side of the short section, it is obvious that downward pressure upon the arm 8 will readily release the spring-catch.

Obviously the raceways may be adjusted to any length of table, and as they are arranged on the outer side of the'table-frame a ball may be easily recovered should it by any y accident be stopped in the raceway.- This is found difficult when raceways are provided on the inner sides of the frame, and, further, by placing the raceways'on the outer side they may easily be kept clear of dust, pieces rof chalk, and the like.

` Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'- 1. In a pool-table, a raceway extended along the side thereof and having portions extended along an end of the table, pockets for the table having communication with the raceway,

'extended along an end of the table, pockets for the table having communication with the raceway, a stop at the outlet end of the raceway and consisting of a downwardly-swinging door, a spring for holding said doorin its closed position, a receiver movable vertically on guides, and means carried by the receiver for closing the door during the upward movement of the receiver and also for releasing the door during the downward movement of the receiver, substantially as specified.

3.` In a pool-table or the like, pockets for said table, raceways arranged along the sides of the table and with which said pockets communicate, said raceways having outlet portions extended along one end of the table, swinging stops at the outlet ends of the raceways, spring-catches for holding said stops in their closed position, arms extended down# IOO ward from said catches, a ball-receiver movable vertically on guides,`means for moving said receiver, and tappets on said receiver for engaging the stops to close them during an upward movement of the receiver and also for engaging with the arms of the catches upon a downward movement of the receiver for releasing the stops, substantially as specified. Y 4. In a pool-table or the like, raceways extended along the sides of the table and having discharge portions extended along one end of t-he table, the said raceways having communication with the pockets of the table, stops at the outlet ends of the rac'eways, vertical guides at the end of the table, a ball-re-I IIC lever extended from one of the links, and the guides and also with the receiver, alever Io ineens for moving the receiver downward7 extended from one of the links, and a spring` substantially as specified. for moving the receiver downward, substan- 6. The combination with a pool-table or the tially :is specified.

like, of racewziys for receiving balls from the THOMAS VALTER GRIFFIN pockets of the table, a ball-receiver for receiving balls from the raceways, guides in which Vit-nesses: said receiver is vertically movable toggle-4 J. H. BARNES,

links having connection with a cross-bnr of E. B. HYATT. 

